Tuberville met with Jacobs Tuesday morning, but left his office around 3 p.m. and it was not clear if he returned. Jacobs did not reveal the topics discussed in the meeting, but said it went "well" and more are planned.

"Tommy and I met this morning, and we'll meet again over the next couple of days," he said to reporters who had spent most of the day camped out in the athletic complex's lobby. "I'll let you know how it goes. That's really it."

Jacobs said he hoped Tuberville's status would be resolved by the end of the week.

"We'll just have to see," he said.

Asked if he was worried that the uncertainty might harm the program, Jacobs shook his head no.

On Monday, Tuberville met with Jacobs and Auburn President Jay Gogue. Subsequent meetings are expected to involve only Jacobs and Tuberville.

Auburn finished a 5-7 season Saturday with a 36-0 loss to Alabama, the Tigers' worst Iron Bowl loss since 1962. Tuberville has said that he will evaluate his staff, make changes and give greater autonomy to his new coordinator in selecting offensive assistants.

Tuberville is making $2.8 million this year, and his compensation is slated to increase by $200,000 each year. He signed a two-year extension last season to push the contract through 2013. Auburn would have to pay $6 million to buy out remaining years of the contract. According to the terms of the deal, Auburn would owe $3 million within 30 days and $3 million in one year. The amount would not be adjusted if Tuberville took another job.

This is the second year in a row that the week after the Iron Bowl has featured awkward meetings between Tuberville and his bosses.

The negotiations were set against a backdrop of rumors and reports linking to Tuberville to other jobs. One TV station even falsely reported that Tuberville had accepted the head coaching job at Arkansas.

This year, Jacobs appears to be controlling the pace and content of the discussions, although Tuberville's generous buyout leaves him with plenty of leverage.

Tuberville has an 85-40 record in 10 years at Auburn, including a 52-30 mark in the SEC. Including his four years at Ole Miss, he is 110-60 overall.